1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a home network, and more particularly to a method for providing a service in a manner of processing a set of pre-selected services with one batch command. The present application is based on Korean Patent Application No. 2001-5287 filed on Feb. 3, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
These days, due to advanced communication technology, many devices in home like information communicating devices such as personal computers, faxes, printers, etc., A/V devices such as TVs, DVDs, VCRs, etc., and home appliances such as electric cookers, refrigerators, washing machines, etc. are connected and used in a network under an external control. Studies are also under way to find out a more efficient method for providing service through such a network.
Meanwhile, the method for providing service through such a network has been disclosed by the same applicant in Korean Patent Application No. 2000-57991 filed Oct. 2, 2000, entitled ‘Apparatus and method for controlling device in home network and system employing the same’.
FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining a conventional method for controlling devices in a home network.
Referring to FIG. 1, first, a web browser is activated in a device (step S102).
The device is accordingly connected to a URL of a lookup server that stores information about the devices connected through the home network (step S104). The lookup server will be described in greater detail later.
Then as shown in FIG. 2(a), a homepage displaying a list of devices connected in the home network is downloaded (step S106). In the homepage, every available device is displayed in the form of an icon.
A user selects one from the list of devices (step S108). Accordingly, the user is connected to a dynamic IP address of the selected device, and the homepage of the selected device is displayed (step S110).
If the user clicks on an icon representing a digital TV 01 (DTV 01), the homepage of the DTV is displayed as in FIG. 2(b). The reference character ‘M’ represents a cursor of a mouse.
The homepage of the selected device displays a list of available services.
The user selects one from the list of available services provided by the selected device (step S112). Then a sub-page, showing details of the selected service, is displayed (step S114).
If the user selects a service 3 in the screen of FIG. 2(b), the screen is displayed as in FIG. 2(c).
The user also selects the particulars of the selected service (step S116). According to the selected particulars, the selected device performs the selected service (step S118).
For example, if turning-on the DTV is the selected service, the DTV is turned on as in FIG. 2(d).
Although the detail of the selected service is selected once in the above description for the simplicity of description, there often is a case when the detail has to be selected more than once according to the type of the selected service.
Since the user has to select each device, service, and item related to the service every time he/she needs to use the service, the user experiences the inconvenience of having to carry out a set of routines in order to use the service.
Also, although the conventional method for providing the service through the home network uses a graphical user interface for the convenience of the user, the user still experiences inconvenience since he/she has to activate many steps until he/she finally activates the service.
Also, even for repeating the same service, the user still has to go back to the start and activate many steps.